Ah yes, this reminds me of my former co-worker who didn't eat meat or products containing gluten and who didn't like salads with "too much lettuce." So basically, she would only eat eggs, sushi, and occasionally the toppings off of salads. On top of that, she felt the need to blatantly comment on how "gross" everyone else's eating habits were, while simultaneously complaining any time people neglected to invite her to lunch. She even brought one of the partners in our firm a diet book on her second day of work and told him it might be something he wanted to read. Before meeting her, I might not have believed that this disorder actually existed.

I definitely think that this is a rising problem. I think it's unhealthy to fear or avoid foods that aren't "good for you," even though it's often socially acceptable to do so, and people won't call you out on it (most people will assume you're anorexic if you regularly turn down food because it has too many calories, but people won't notice you are controlling/restricting if you turn down food because it's not "organic.")

To be truly happy, you have to be content and willing to accept any situation, and that includes being able to enjoy any food you are given. Food is just food. If you go to a restaurant and you can't enjoy a meal just because it's "too fatty" or not "healthy" enough, you have issues. Obviously, that doesn't mean that there's nothing "bad" about food that is devoid of nutrition; we shouldn't be content to give our body crap food just because it's there. But that's different from feeling bad about ourselves when we eat it and not being able to eat it. I noticed myself feeling this way a few days ago. My parents took me to a restaurant where the food was good, but clearly very greasy and caloric. I couldn't bring myself to eat it, and just sat there while they ate and later made myself a healthier meal at home. How lame is that--can't even enjoy a free, tasty meal with my family! It's not normal and in the end I was not doing myself any favors.

While I strongly support making healthy choices most of the time, if a diet doesn't allow you to have an occasional meal with friends or makes it extremely inconvenient for you to be away from home, the quality of life hit isn't worth it.

I think that taking healthy habits too far can be a serious issue, however I would not classify it as a disease like I would Alchoholism, Bulimia, Anorexia, and Drug addiction.

im vegan. i wont eat un-whole wheat, hydrogenated oils, soy, or added suagrs.
but in no way would i say im disordered and i think its bullsh*t that people can create a disorder for paranoid healthy dieting.

I think that anything that becomes an obsession in an unhealthy way and leads a person to dysfunction (avoiding people and situations) or panicking about food choices available is not a good thing -- whether you're eating healthy or not.

I agree with deanna024. Any obsession is unhealthy. Passion is one thing but when it crosses the line to obsession it's time to get help or at least rethink your lifestyle choices.

@lauren1001 - on your comment about being happy...being truly happy does not have to resort to eating unhealthy foods just because it is presented to you. For me and for many others that I know...being truly happy is turning down things that are not good for health and body and being able to walk away. Food should not control anyone's life. And by control I mean giving you a craving so bad that you can't turn it down or by allowing someone else's eating habits to influence yours, (i.e. someone taking you out to eat @ an unhealthy restaurant or presenting you with donuts, etc.).

Also, if a family member or friend presents food to you that is unhealthy and you don't want to eat it...then that person should respect your choice and move on. Anything beyond that is an annoyance. So what if selfishness yields healthy results?

Anyway - I realize the article is meant to describe the extreme clean diet but I had to add my $.02.

I think it's NOT EATING that is a problem. What someone chooses (or refuses) is a personal choice. So many people mindlessly put things into their mouths and bodies and they have no idea where it came from. I respect someone who takes the trouble to choose healthy or even completely clean diets.

to anon: no one is saying that's wrong. what's wrong is when it starts to interfere with your other activities and relationships, just like other eating disorders. as an anorexic, i refused to go anywhere with friends because i was afraid there MIGHT be food there, and it was easier to "avoid the temptation".

Also to anon #5... you call what you're on as a "paranoid healthy diet"... if it leaves you paranoid, it's not healthy. Just saying...

I was anorexic, but I definitely had many orthorexia characteristics. I HAD to eat the recommended daily number of servings of each food group (except sweets!) and I ate sooo slowly, no matter what. And I'm already vegetarian, so meat was off the list as well as anything that wasn't "pure" (the word i gave it in my head, but basically I only ate raw fruits and vegetables -- nothing altered, not even minorly like salsa).

I remember sitting in the cardiologist's office with my mom (I had a 35-40 bpm heartrate due to lack of calories and fat to support my body) and I would take nibbles off of a baggie of baby carrots I brought because I didn't feel I had gotten in enough vegetables.

It's past the point where it's simply a "healthy" diet -- at that point, it's anything but.

I think maybe sometimes people probably think I have orthorexia. I follow a pretty strict regimen most of the time...not a lot of processed foods, no cheese, no red meats, etc. and I like it when I have control over what I'm eating. I think it's more of an OCD thing than a true eating disorder, but that doesn't mean it's normal either. I know I have OCD tendencies in other areas of my life (like how I HAVE to drink my coffee a certain way out of a certain mug every day, or how I have to calculate my gas tank mileage every time I fill up), so maybe it extends into my food world as well.

I do agree that if the way you eat is affecting your daily life, it's definitely not normal. But I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as a true eating disorder; it's probably more of a mental health issue.

I say it would only constitute a disorder if it affected a person's physical or mental health, such as omitting foods in such a way that you don't meet your nutritional needs (vegetarian and vegan diets not included because you can meet your nutritional needs through them) or feeling excessive mental distress when offered unhealthy foods. I think it's perfectly reasonable to refuse or avoid unhealthy foods even if everyone else is having them. People who are not alcoholics refuse alcohol when others are drinking. Why? I imagine for a multitude of reasons.

"@lauren1001 - on your comment about being happy...being truly happy does not have to resort to eating unhealthy foods just because it is presented to you. For me and for many others that I know...being truly happy is turning down things that are not good for health and body and being able to walk away."

I'm not saying you're orthorexic just because you turn down a cheeseburger. But I do think there is a line that separates a healthy avoidance from an obsession. Eating carefully is important, but you have to make sure you are coming at the lifestyle from a healthy mindset (I'm not referring to you in particular, I'm sure you're perfectly healthy.) But just because an orthorexic is seemingly making all the "right" dietary choices doesn't mean that he or she is healthy. It all depends on why and with what level of control.

I see where you're coming from, Lauren. I'm a healthy eater myself, but the girl I worked with would literally join in on any conversation and automatically turn it to "healthy eating" and/or exercise in some way. The idea of "healthiness," especially healthy foods was something she was fixated on 24/7, and it was quite obviously not normal. Looking back, it could have also been a cover for an eating disorder.

As a very healthy eater, I don't think I have orthorexia. For me, it's about a COMMITMENT to healthy eating, than an obsession. During the holidays, I stray from that commitment, and I'm fine with it. This leads me to think that I'm not obsessed with healthy eating. It's just a commitment I honor most of the time.

However, I think I'm borderline OCD when it comes to my teeth. I MUST brush and floss after every meal. There is NO peace in my heart until I do. Is there name for that condition??

I absolutely believe that this is a real condition, and it's one that's taken over my life in the last couple of years. It's a form of an eating disorder. I started off wanting to lose weight in a healthy way by exercising and cutting out all junk food. I did lose weight, over fifty pounds, but it got to the point where I physically would be unable to put anything in my mouth that wasn't healthy. I started adhering to strict routines; I couldn't eat anything between meal times, even if I was so hungry all I could think about was food, and I had to have meals at their set times. I couldn't eat too many carbs, any refined sugars, and absolutely nothing with questionable additives and food chemicals. I became obsessive about food, couldn't go out to eat, couldn't eat food that other people had prepared, and wouldn't even eat vegetables if someone had used too much oil or any butter to cook them. A mix of anorexia and orthorexia, and it's been a living hell. A lack of fats, calories and proper nutrition contributed to an onset of clinical depression and resulted in my periods stopping.

I'm still struggling to recover and it's a long road. One of the biggest things I still have an issue with is eating things that are processed with "non-food" additives. Obviously, it's HEALTHY to eat mostly whole foods and limit sweets, but it's NOT healthy when you physically can NOT put them in your mouth, even on special occasions in social situations, or when food and food anxiety begins to take over your thoughts and your life. I think that's the point. There's a difference between following a mostly healthful diet and mental illness, which is what an eating disorder is.

I am now enjoying my chocolate again every day and marveling that I ever imagined (with totally misplaced pride) that I would "never eat it again". I still have a long way to go, but it's my goal to get to the point where I eat a very healthful and minimally processed diet, but can eat at a restaurant or anything that someone cooks with love for me - without guilt, or even thinking twice about it. Even if it's high in fat or calories, or contains something that wouldn't feature highly in Michael Pollen's mantra. Nutritious daily staples and occasional pleasurable splurges. THAT, to me, is healthy eating.

GlowingMooon,

Just so you know, after you eat, the acid in the foods makes your teeth temporarily softer and if you brush right after then you start to wear away your enamel. So I would definitely look in to cutting down on the teeth brushing after EVERY meal. Or at least wait 20 minutes for your teeth's structure to become un-weak. Or eat cheese after because the alkaline can partially neutralize the acid and prevent erosion.

I wish I was a bit more like this when it came to some of the choices I make. I let my cravings dictate what I eat too much of the time, mostly because I love sweets and a nice burger.

Wild Magelet, thanks for sharing your story. I can totally relate and I it has been quite a challenge to get over the nervousness and anxiety of eating foods I deem "unhealthy" In the past, I have definitely avoided social situations b/c I knew there was going to be food there I would not (or could not) eat, and I think I missed many opportunities. Now that I live in another state, away from my family and friends, I realize how precious those moments are of sharing meals and my obsession with calories and fat became all I thought about. Needless to say, I definitely think this is a real disorder.

ps, what's up with the girl's eyes in the picture of this post? Spooky!

i think it's real. but how does it lead to malnutrition or anorexia? i'd love to hear some stories. is it because they can't find food worth eating and think everything is contaminated?

(I'm not signed in because I'm not at my home computer, but I was #11 above...)

In response to Allytta, just because someone eats healthfully, it doesn't mean they will become anorexic or orthorexic, obviously; but also people who are orthorexic won't necessarily be anorexic (or even underweight) -- they could just be extremely obsessed with the quality of the food they eat. Also, there are plenty of anorexics who subsist mainly on "unhealthy" foods like gum and coffee. They're three very separate categories when describing them, but in reality the lines get blurred when you're talking about an actual person. Hope that helps explain it a little better

tori, that is obvious like you said. the only topic i was wondering about was the extremes and how it leads to malnutrition. your posts didn't really reflect on that issue

Ah, ok, I see what you mean. Well, what they told me through my recovery is that our bodies do actually need SOME fat in order to absorb nutrients, so if you're ONLY eating fruits and vegetables (with no butter, salad dressing, etc.), after a long period of time your body isn't able to even absorb all of the good nutrients you just put in it. At least that's how it happened in my situation.

I avoid gluten and lactose wherever possible because it actually makes me ill. In a horrible sicky kind of way.

I wouldn't jeapordize a meal because of it though and I'm flexible where there are no gluten free options available.

There are foods that I avoid (white bread, msg, raw fish and premade cold rolls) because I think there are healthier options. I can see how it can effect someones life so massively though.